New artwork goes up on Arts Centre Melbourne hoarding to celebrate Asia TOPA

A new artwork Dominus Aeris by Thukral and Tagra is now on display on the hoarding at Arts Centre Melbourne along St Kilda Rd between Hamer Hall and the Theatres Building as part of the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts (Asia TOPA).

The artwork was commissioned by the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation (MAPT) to celebrate the 2025 Asia TOPA festival. 

For this year’s festival, Delhi-based artist duo Thukral and Tagra (comprised of Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra) are presenting their new project Bread, Circuses and Home, a free public installation at Fed Square. 

Thukral and Tagra created the stunning large-scale artwork Dominus Aeris in response to Bread, Circuses and Home and its ideas on migration and resilience. The eye-catching artwork explores themes of family, aspirations, and value. 

The work draws inspiration from the architecture of Indian state Punjab, echoing the houses of Thukral and Tagra’s ancestors. These houses, symbolic of migration, are portrayed as fleeting, transient homes. 

To create the work, the artists used the motif of water tanks and hot air balloons to celebrate the ambition and adaptability of Punjab’s communities.

“Art is the only way that offers a profound way to navigate and make sense of today’s ever-changing world,” Thukral and Tagra said.

The artists have been working collaboratively for more than two decades on immersive and multi-modal sensory installations that engage in the cultural and political landscape of India and the world.

The artwork was commissioned by MAPT in collaboration with Arts Centre Melbourne to transform this part of the Arts Precinct into an outdoor gallery. 

Dominus Aeris will be displayed on the hoarding outside Arts Centre Melbourne from February to December 2025. It is free to visit and wheelchair accessible.

Asia TOPA runs until March 10, 2025, presenting a full program of breathtaking performances, art after dark, and world premieres, exhibitions and larger-than-life installations. 

Explore the program here: 

asiatopa.com.au •